Boat construction



Oct. 8, 1940. H. v. PFISTER BOAT CONSTRUCTION Filed June 8, 1939 H R Rm m m {I WE k 0 1U 4. v, a 0 M W F \w a H m a A f 0 5. 1 w w v a u z l 5 W am .0 M I! V Y 6 6 m (n 2 3 6 w 2 BABC NU ATTORNEY S Patented Oct. 8, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a boat construction and particularly relates to a boat construction which is adapted for childrens use as well as adults use.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a simple, compact boat unit, which boat unit may be readily made in varying sizes and which boat unit may be made so as to permit several boats to be nested together and sold or transd ported in such nest as a single unit.

Another object is to provide an inexpensive yet durable boat construction which may be made in very small sizes for use as a toy and in very large sizes for use as a conveyance and which at T5 the same time will be of such light weight it ma be readily transported or handled.

Still further objects and advantages will appear from the more detailed description set forth below, it being understood, however, that this 20 more detailed description is given by way of illustration since various changes therein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

25 In accomplishing the above objects, it has been found most satisfactory to use a boat constructed with relatively light wood sides and ends and at the same time to provide a fibrous or multilayer a bottom construction which may be attached to said sides.

In one form of the invention it has been found most desirable to cause the boat to have a substantially rectangular outline with the side walls forming the long walls of the rectangle and the end walls forming the short sides of the rectangle. The bottom, which is attached to the side and end walls, is preferably turned upwardly toward the end walls, such end walls being of substantially less depth than the middle portions of the 40 side walls.

In the preferred construction, to enable more ready nesting of the boats, the side walls are inclined inwardly and upwardly so as to permit the 45 positioning of an anti-splash rail at the tops of said walls. The outer edge of this anti-splash rail should preferably not project beyond the outer edge of the bottom of the boat so that the boats may be readily nested together in different 50 sizes in units of two, three, four or even five or more.

Referring to the drawing which illustrates several of the various possible embodiments of the present invention, but to which the present in- 55 vention is by no means restricted since the draw- Figure 4 is an end view upon the line 4-4 of 10- Figure 1; and

I Figure 5 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view upon the line 55 of Figure 1 upon enlarged scale as compared to Figure 1.

Referring to Figure 1, the nest as shown has three boats A, B and C, each of which is of identical construction although of different dimensions so as to nest together.

Each boat, as shown, is provided with side walls I0 and end walls II of a varnished or lacquered light wood, the side walls I0 overlapping the ends of the end walls II at I2, as shown in v Figure 2, and being held in position by the screws I3, then form a watertight joint.

The end walls II are shorter than the middle portion of the side walls I0 and the ends of the side walls are cut upwardly, as indicated at I4, toward their junction I2 with the end walls I I.

The base or bottom I5. is preferably of a fleX- ible impregnated sheet material which may be impregnated with resins or other plastics and which is held in position by the screws I6 to the end walls II and by the screws I! to the side walls Ill.

The bottom may be composed of sheet fibrous material impregnated with a resin or lacquer which sheet is shaped in forming to conform to the bottom edges of the side walls I0 and the end walls I2.

It will be noted, as shown best in Figure 5, that the side Walls I0 are of decreasing thickness upwardly and their outer surfaces inclined inwardly, as indicated best at I8.

This inclination and decrease in thickness will compensate for the thickness of the side or splash rails I9, the outer edges 20 of which are directly above the outer edges 2| of the bottom I5 (see particularly Figure 4).

In this manner, it is possible to nest the boats more compactly together, as indicated in Figures l, 3 and 5, and the side splash rail also will co operate with the fiat shaped bottom to prevent undue splash in the boat when the boat is used,

If desired, instead of decreasing the-thickness of the side walls II], the side walls may be made of uniform thickness and the side edges of the end walls may be caused to incline inwardly from the bottom to the top of the boat.

The boat which is constructed in the manner shown in Figure 4, when made of light Weight materials, preferably light weight woods, surfaced with suitable varnishes or lacquers, is low in Weight, easy to handle, economical to construct and maintain and by reason of the nesting possibilities, a number of boats ranging from two to five or more in number may be placed inside of each other and take up only the room occupied by the largest boat.

Although the square or rectangular shape is preferred, the boats may also be constructed with a pointed or curved nose or stem and they may be constructed of other materials than wood, for example, of metals and compositions. I

The anti-splash rails HI will prevent. small waves from splashing over into the boats and the curvature, as indicated at 22 in Figuresa and 5, is particularly satisfactory for this purpose.

Although synthetic fibrous materials are preferred for the bottom l5,.it isalso possible to use metals, various types of light weig t cements or laminated constructions, ply wood and so forth.

. The joints at 23 in Figure l and at 24 in Figure 2, may be readily sealed by materials such as tar, white lead, rubber, and so forth.

Where the boat is made of light weight metal materials, instead of the screws as. shown, the

entire construction may be Welded, soldered orriveted together.

The anti-splash rail i9 is particularly desirable inasmuch as it not only prevents splashing, as above stated, but provides additional strength for the top of the boat and provides a convenient means for handling the same.

Although many types of woods may be utilized for the end walls H and the side walls It], it has been found most satisfactory to employ cedar or red wood and to use as a sealing composition between the crevices, a white lead colored to match these woods and some fibrousbinding material, such as cotton wicking or felt.

Boats built in this manner, measuring about 4 feet, 6 inches long, and 16 inches wide, weigh about 14 pounds and can conveniently carry children weighing between 50 and '75 pounds. Slightly larger boats measuring about four feet, nine inches long by eighteen inches wide can conveniently carrybhildren between and pounds. Slightly larger boats will carry proportionately heavier people.

The sides of the boat may be normally approximately 8 to 10 inches high and about of an inch thick on the thick end and about A; of an inch thick on the thin end. The decrease of approximately /2 Of an inch between the thick end and the thin end allows the installation of an anti-splash rail of inch in thickness without decreasing from the size of the boat itself.

It is apparent that the specific illustrations shown above have been given by way of illustration and not by way of limitation and that the structures above described are subject to wide variation and modification without departing from the scope or intent of the invention, all of which variations and modifications are to be included within the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In av nest of boats, each. boat comprising sideand end walls of. a light. wood, andan impregnated. fibrous sheet bottom attached to the bottom of said side and end walls, said side walls decreasing in depth toward the. end walls, said side Walls being inclinedinwardly toward their upper. edges and anti-splash rails being provided. at. the upper edges of said side walls, said antisplash rails projecting sufiiciently so. that their outer edges will be substantially directly over the outer edge of the bottom of. the boat.

2. A nest of boats comprising a plurality of shallow boats of the same contour butv ofslightly different. dimensions. so. that they may nest together, the side walls. of said boats'beinginclined inwardly toward their: upper edges and antisplash rails positioned along the upper edges of said side walls, said splash rails projecting suiiiciently so that their outer edges will be directly over the outer edges of the bottom of the boat.

3. A boat construction comprising side and end walls of a light wood, and an impregnated fibrous sheet bottom attached to the bottom of said side and end walls, said side walls decreasing in depth toward the end walls, said side walls being inclined inwardly toward their upper edges and being provided at their upper edges with antisplash rails, said anti-splash rails projecting sufficiently so that their outer edges will be substantially directly over the outer edge of the bottom of the boat.

' HAYMO VICTOR PFISTER. 

